LMA NEWSLETTER September 20, 2021

Some Play Checkers…

I have the privilege of working with several industry sectors including those in government and those working to affect change in government.  I grew up in the day where NOT saying something was as important as saying something and as one of my mentors taught me, “you learn nothing with your mouth open.” 

Yet in …

Lawmakers Back in Tallahassee

Insurance bills emerging

The Florida Legislature today begins the first of six staggered weeks of legislative committee meetings leading to the start of the formal session on January 11.  The House has healthcare and pandemic-related meetings beginning this morning, with the Senate tackling redistricting this afternoon.  Redrawing legislative and congressional district lines will be a …

Second Challenge to Insurance Reform Law

Roofers want entire SB 76 tossed

A second lawsuit has been filed this summer, this one seeking to throw-out the entire SB 76, Florida’s newest insurance reform law passed by the legislature last spring and signed into law by the Governor in June.  The new law is designed to stem double-digit rate increases, misleading …

Effective Evacuation Sign

Rising costs & lessons from Hurricane Ida

As we prepare to enter the last third of hurricane season (and traditionally the worst third!) the National Hurricane Center as of late last night showed two tropical storms in the Atlantic Ocean – Peter and Rose – but neither are expected to approach the mainland U.S.  Meanwhile, …

Conversation with a Leading Floodplain Manager

How a vulnerable county is improving

Someone else who gets it is Lisa Foster, whose floodplain management team recently moved Pinellas County from a Class 5 to a Class 3 in FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS).  Quite a feat for a coastal community surrounded by water!  We asked her 5 questions about the achievement.

  1. What

A Tale of Two Cities (and Mayors)

Cost v. Risk

After all the effort we have now read that Pinellas County put into making its infrastructure and residents more resilient to flooding thru improved CRS requirements, let’s take a look at another populous county, this one on Florida’s east coast: Broward County.  FEMA recently released its updated flood maps and the Sun …

Necessity the Mother of Invention

Just ask this Jersey Shore landmark

Speaking of flooding, there’s a place called Mike’s Seafood that has been a staple in the historic fish alley of Sea Isle, New Jersey for more than 100 years.  Though the location is well-known and visited by locals, Mike’s Seafood becomes one of the busiest restaurants in the area …

Mitigation Champion

The Florida Division of Emergency Management is congratulating its Mitigation Bureau Chief, Miles Anderson, for his honor in receiving the 2020 GHC Lifetime Achievement Award.  Miles also serves as the State Hazard Mitigation Officer.  Due to COVID-19, there was not an in-person award ceremony, but we are happy to celebrate this great achievement!  

The Division …